Rhiannon
Added to listLgbtqia2swith 161 books.
Added to listHorrorwith 841 books.
A witchy, gothic tale of a centuries old curse that peculiarly affects only the women of a small, tightly-knit and highly affluent community that is strictly controlled by a sinister, autocratic patriarchal Christian sect that enforces a rigid ‘Purity Culture’ that turns out to be even darker than the women suspect.
The novel is told via three separate timelines of the women in this wealthy town, highlighting their persecution, struggles for autonomy, empowerment and true independence. And the mysterious, terrifying fatal illness that is only whispered about in hushed circles. Because everyone knows the horrible, incurable disease afflicts only the impure women who stray from ‘The Path’. And running through it all is the legend of the Dark Sisters, mysterious entities that may be folklore, ghosts, demons or the curse itself… and may be the reason for the illness, a warning, or even salvation.
The pacing of the novel was strong and consistent, the plot just mysterious enough to hold your interest, and the characters engaging. You will feel the rage, the tooth-grinding oppression, and the vicious and bloody retribution that is centuries in the making.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
A witchy, gothic tale of a centuries old curse that peculiarly affects only the women of a small, tightly-knit and highly affluent community that is strictly controlled by a sinister, autocratic patriarchal Christian sect that enforces a rigid ‘Purity Culture’ that turns out to be even darker than the women suspect.
The novel is told via three separate timelines of the women in this wealthy town, highlighting their persecution, struggles for autonomy, empowerment and true independence. And the mysterious, terrifying fatal illness that is only whispered about in hushed circles. Because everyone knows the horrible, incurable disease afflicts only the impure women who stray from ‘The Path’. And running through it all is the legend of the Dark Sisters, mysterious entities that may be folklore, ghosts, demons or the curse itself… and may be the reason for the illness, a warning, or even salvation.
The pacing of the novel was strong and consistent, the plot just mysterious enough to hold your interest, and the characters engaging. You will feel the rage, the tooth-grinding oppression, and the vicious and bloody retribution that is centuries in the making.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Added to listOwnedwith 2713 books.
I kept staring at the cover of this before I read it thinking “I swear that looks like a crazy lamprey-DuneWorm creature...” Heh.
Great horror centering around grief and loss. (This review is tricky, I'm trying not to give any spoilers here, but it's not easy!)
Alex is raised by his uncle Matt in a rather poor town that seems to be running itself down through bad luck, economic downturns and general malaise, yet despite this Alex and his uncle have a pretty good relationship. Alex gets up to teenagerly things, some not so great, but he seems overall like a decent guy. After a brief experimental go at messing with an occult book with his teenage girlfriend, that seems more like a lark but has dark underpinnings for what comes later in his adult life, Alex eventually moves on to actually making a decent life for himself.
A falling out with his uncle Matt followed by that same uncle's death become the catalyst for Alex making some truly tragic choices as he attempts to (poorly) deal with his grief and guilt over how their relationship went. The fallout drags his newly pregnant wife, that old teenage girlfriend, and his uncle Matt's best friend into the horror show that violently erupts.
Franklin's style was rather reminiscent of Stephen King's in his characters and that nostalgic look back on growing up in a small, poor town. He paints a picture of this town and the deep melancholy of enduring a life in it until Alex finds a way out and seems to be making a real life for himself, but all the while there is a deep underlying dread.
As Alex tries to claw back from the horror he's unleashed on his loved ones, the action really amps up into a truly terrifying showdown.
I kept staring at the cover of this before I read it thinking “I swear that looks like a crazy lamprey-DuneWorm creature...” Heh.
Great horror centering around grief and loss. (This review is tricky, I'm trying not to give any spoilers here, but it's not easy!)
Alex is raised by his uncle Matt in a rather poor town that seems to be running itself down through bad luck, economic downturns and general malaise, yet despite this Alex and his uncle have a pretty good relationship. Alex gets up to teenagerly things, some not so great, but he seems overall like a decent guy. After a brief experimental go at messing with an occult book with his teenage girlfriend, that seems more like a lark but has dark underpinnings for what comes later in his adult life, Alex eventually moves on to actually making a decent life for himself.
A falling out with his uncle Matt followed by that same uncle's death become the catalyst for Alex making some truly tragic choices as he attempts to (poorly) deal with his grief and guilt over how their relationship went. The fallout drags his newly pregnant wife, that old teenage girlfriend, and his uncle Matt's best friend into the horror show that violently erupts.
Franklin's style was rather reminiscent of Stephen King's in his characters and that nostalgic look back on growing up in a small, poor town. He paints a picture of this town and the deep melancholy of enduring a life in it until Alex finds a way out and seems to be making a real life for himself, but all the while there is a deep underlying dread.
As Alex tries to claw back from the horror he's unleashed on his loved ones, the action really amps up into a truly terrifying showdown.
weeping silently
You would think I'd know better by now to not trust Dan Franklin with my heart. He's always managed to destroy it just a little bit with each novel he writes by disguising them as horror stories with real people and true humanity at their core, and that makes the horror all that more impactful.
This is no exception. Once again, an intriguing premise drew me in... An updated take on the golem folktale, set in Prague (my favourite city) in 1945, with a little boy as its focus as he clings to survival after witnessing the most horrific and traumatic event, silently existing with terrifying ghosts and a constant fear of discovery.
The ending was brutal, bloody and beautiful and ultimately surprising and stunningly heartrending.
(Also, this was giving me Maus vibes and I would really love to see this as a gorgeous graphic novel!)
Many thanks to Dan Franklin and BookSirens for the advance review copy.
Originally posted at www.amazon.ca.
weeping silently
You would think I'd know better by now to not trust Dan Franklin with my heart. He's always managed to destroy it just a little bit with each novel he writes by disguising them as horror stories with real people and true humanity at their core, and that makes the horror all that more impactful.
This is no exception. Once again, an intriguing premise drew me in... An updated take on the golem folktale, set in Prague (my favourite city) in 1945, with a little boy as its focus as he clings to survival after witnessing the most horrific and traumatic event, silently existing with terrifying ghosts and a constant fear of discovery.
The ending was brutal, bloody and beautiful and ultimately surprising and stunningly heartrending.
(Also, this was giving me Maus vibes and I would really love to see this as a gorgeous graphic novel!)
Many thanks to Dan Franklin and BookSirens for the advance review copy.
Originally posted at www.amazon.ca.
I love an unconventional narrative and structure and this novella is that: experimental and alluring in its design and language. That said, there is still a constant theme of love and loss throughout that I felt was beautifully captured through the ephemeral writing, which is told in an epistolary format of varying POVs, letters, notes, and other bits of remembrances.
At once lyrical and mournful... This haunting and poignant tale tells the individual stories of a group of friends who come together, separate and fracture while the world crumbles and violently morphs around them through climate change as some prepare to leave this world while others commit to stay. There is a deep sense of loss and longing in the individual tales, both for friends and lovers and for the earth itself, with flashes of hope for renewal and rebirth. I found this book to be quite beautiful and moving, and has managed to achieve its rightful place as a modern-day fable.
My thanks to NetGalley and Stelliform Press for the Advance Reader Copy.
Originally posted at www.amazon.ca.
I love an unconventional narrative and structure and this novella is that: experimental and alluring in its design and language. That said, there is still a constant theme of love and loss throughout that I felt was beautifully captured through the ephemeral writing, which is told in an epistolary format of varying POVs, letters, notes, and other bits of remembrances.
At once lyrical and mournful... This haunting and poignant tale tells the individual stories of a group of friends who come together, separate and fracture while the world crumbles and violently morphs around them through climate change as some prepare to leave this world while others commit to stay. There is a deep sense of loss and longing in the individual tales, both for friends and lovers and for the earth itself, with flashes of hope for renewal and rebirth. I found this book to be quite beautiful and moving, and has managed to achieve its rightful place as a modern-day fable.
My thanks to NetGalley and Stelliform Press for the Advance Reader Copy.
Originally posted at www.amazon.ca.
Triggers: ALL of them. Except, oddly enough, no cruelty to live animals... well, except for the people!
It's extreme. It's vile. It's offensive. It's all the things an extreme horror story should be. It's supposed to be an ‘origin' story but there's honestly no rhyme or reason for Edward's monstrous actions – he just is. And honestly, that's perfectly fine.
Triggers: ALL of them. Except, oddly enough, no cruelty to live animals... well, except for the people!
It's extreme. It's vile. It's offensive. It's all the things an extreme horror story should be. It's supposed to be an ‘origin' story but there's honestly no rhyme or reason for Edward's monstrous actions – he just is. And honestly, that's perfectly fine.
I first discovered Tindol 3 months ago with Hunting Snipe (which was incredible, btw) and so I was excited to get into some of his short fiction. This is a great and varied collection of nine shorts – and I say varied because Tindol has an amazing ability to write excellent and compelling horror from several different sub-genres: cosmic, creature, hauntings, cults, urban legends…
Highlights for me were:
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 was a brutal opener that for my reasonably flexible Canadian sensibilities was still a bit jarring despite, unfortunately, confirming my sometimes Morally-Superior-Canadian biases (I know, I know) towards guns. By the end of the 8th paragraph I just knew we must be in Texas (confirmed). 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗵. But! This story was far sneakier than I was expecting it to be. It subtly and cleverly morphed from the horror of ‘what have I done’ to ‘why am I not a hero’ to the inevitable weight of crushing guilt.
𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀 This has old school Stephen King short story vibes to it... The kind of story that turns into urban legend.
𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝘂𝘁’𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗶𝗸 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 funny and creepy and how will I ever be able to have bread bowl spinach dip again? I guess I’ll just have to join the cult…
𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗸 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘀 a great creature feature that again has elements of urban (swamp?) legend that immediately feels strongly rooted in the deep south.
𝗠𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 will forever have me looking suspiciously at our canine companions…
“𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙜𝙨.”
And I was 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 worried, but it’s not what you think…
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 was a very impressive haunted-house story (the lengthiest in this collection) with something of an interdimensional/cosmic twist that left me wanting more (and thinking of haunting images of other-worldly doorways from Prince of Darkness and Legend.) As satisfying as the ending was, I’d love to see this story expanded – should Tindol have more to tell…
The best writing is that which ends up taking up permanent residence in your subconscious, popping out at you in the most unexpected and inconvenient of times. Tindol’s stories do that. Much to the discomfiture of my peace of mind…
My thanks to the author for the advanced reader copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
I first discovered Tindol 3 months ago with Hunting Snipe (which was incredible, btw) and so I was excited to get into some of his short fiction. This is a great and varied collection of nine shorts – and I say varied because Tindol has an amazing ability to write excellent and compelling horror from several different sub-genres: cosmic, creature, hauntings, cults, urban legends…
Highlights for me were:
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 was a brutal opener that for my reasonably flexible Canadian sensibilities was still a bit jarring despite, unfortunately, confirming my sometimes Morally-Superior-Canadian biases (I know, I know) towards guns. By the end of the 8th paragraph I just knew we must be in Texas (confirmed). 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗵. But! This story was far sneakier than I was expecting it to be. It subtly and cleverly morphed from the horror of ‘what have I done’ to ‘why am I not a hero’ to the inevitable weight of crushing guilt.
𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀 This has old school Stephen King short story vibes to it... The kind of story that turns into urban legend.
𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝘂𝘁’𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗶𝗸 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 funny and creepy and how will I ever be able to have bread bowl spinach dip again? I guess I’ll just have to join the cult…
𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗸 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘀 a great creature feature that again has elements of urban (swamp?) legend that immediately feels strongly rooted in the deep south.
𝗠𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 will forever have me looking suspiciously at our canine companions…
“𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙜𝙨.”
And I was 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 worried, but it’s not what you think…
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 was a very impressive haunted-house story (the lengthiest in this collection) with something of an interdimensional/cosmic twist that left me wanting more (and thinking of haunting images of other-worldly doorways from Prince of Darkness and Legend.) As satisfying as the ending was, I’d love to see this story expanded – should Tindol have more to tell…
The best writing is that which ends up taking up permanent residence in your subconscious, popping out at you in the most unexpected and inconvenient of times. Tindol’s stories do that. Much to the discomfiture of my peace of mind…
My thanks to the author for the advanced reader copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
Added to listArcwith 57 books.
